Women Who Won The Week: Pussy Riot [PHOTOS]

In case you haven’t noticed, the Sochi Winter Olympics began in Russia this week. So far, the coverage probably hasn’t been as flattering to the host country as Russia would have liked. Part of the reason for this coverage has been through the activism of members of the band Pussy Riot.

Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova were released from Russian prison late last year. Although they were arrested for criticizing Vladimir Putin during a performance in a church, Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova have continued to speak out about Russia’s oppressive policies. Their recent popularity actually got them kicked out of the band because they strayed from the “ideals of [the] group — feminism, separatist resistance, fight against authoritarianism and personality cult.”

Still, anything that brings attention towards Russia’s oppressive laws against homosexuals and freedom of speech is good. Russian snowboarder Alexei Sobolev recently showed off artwork on the bottom of his board that may have been a tribute to Pussy Riot. When asked if he meant it as a protest, he slyly said, “Anything is possible; I wasn’t the person who designed the board.” Seems like Pussy Riot is getting their message out any way they can.